


Carry On

by themissingchildfromhistory



Category: Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Drama, Gen, Retelling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-11-13 16:40:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18035303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themissingchildfromhistory/pseuds/themissingchildfromhistory
Summary: An imaginative twist on a classic tale,Carry Onis set in an alternate universe where Goku is never sent to Earth and the Saiyan homeworld is never destroyed by Freeza. It follows the adventures of Rosamoona, daughter of Goku and Music, daughter of Raditz as they are accidentally sent to Earth when Vegeta falls into an abrupt war. With the mystical dragon balls their only way back to the burning planet, will the Son girls be able to carry on?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first work on AO3, but feel free to check out my other stories on Wattpad under the name Shinedownlover560. The characters in this story are the same ones I use in my Wattpad stories (just wanted to make this clear for the few who may recognize Rosamoona's name. Tis I, just on a different platform).
> 
> This was originally a one-shot based on a prompt by the lovely Mel, and I've since turned it into a story using most of - if not all - of our DBZ OC's. Enjoy!

Explosions shook the ground as we ran. I could hear the bombs as they fell from the sky. It was a high pitched sound that mixed together with the screaming of the terrified citizens and the cries of the injured. 

We ran for what seemed like forever. I didn’t understand why we couldn’t just fly... It would have been so much quicker, but Daddy said it wasn’t safe enough. We ran and we ran and we ran and we ran... We ran until two one-person pods came into view.

Uncle Raditz said something, but his words were lost to me as another bomb struck the ground, not far from where we were at. Debris flew in every direction, causing me to stumble and cover my face. I felt cuts open up on my arms as stones struck them. When it had cleared enough for us to see, there was only one pod left in working condition.  
Daddy swore, running forward to inspect the damage. Uncle Raditz grabbed my hand, pulling me along with Music. When we reached Daddy, he shook his head.

“It’s no use, it’s busted. They’ll have to go together.” Uncle Raditz swallowed hard and nodded, his jaw set hard.

“But you said you were coming with us!” Music protested, her eyes widening. “You can’t stay! You’ll get hurt!”

“Music there’s no choice,” Uncle says, looking his daughter in the eye. “You and Rosamoona have to leave now.”

I looked between my uncle and father. A part of me knew that the two space pods were never for the four of us, even if I didn’t want to admit it. They were only ever for Music and me. Tears welled up in my eyes and I rushed towards my father, hugging him the best I could. He knelt down, wrapping me in his large arms. 

“It’ll be okay,” he whispered. “I promise.”

“Kakarott, they need to leave now,” Uncle Raditz says softly. Daddy nods, letting me go and standing up. 

In a matter of moments, my cousin and I are crushed together in a pod that was only supposed to hold one person. However, given that we were kids, it wasn’t impossible for us to share the space. 

“Listen to me; whatever happens you have to carry on,” Uncle Raditz says as Daddy messes with the controls. “You have to stay strong. You two are Saiyans! Remember that! The blood of Vegeta will always run through your veins.” He leaned in, kissing us both on the head. He backed up and stood with Daddy as the door to the pod slowly closed.

“We’ll get you when it’s safe!” Daddy called out. “When this is all over, you’ll come home!” The door closed before either could say any more. The pod rumbled, slowly at first, then more and more violently. Ash and dust blew around outside, obscuring our view of our fathers. After a few seconds, it cleared enough to let us see that the area they had occupied was empty.

“Papa!” Music exclaimed, leaning forward. She fumbled around, trying to find the button to open the door, but neither of us knew how to operate the pod. She mashed random buttons, causing a picture to come up on the screen below the window. A picture of a different planet than the one that had just been there.

The pod rumbled again, causing us both to cry out. Suddenly, it shot off the ground, ascending quickly. The higher it got, the more and more it shook. I was convinced that we were going to break apart at any minute, killing us both as we fell back down the surface of Vegeta in fiery balls. But after a few agonizingly slow minutes, the space pod broke free of the atmosphere and entered space.

As we floated above the planet, Music and I had a clearer view of what was going on. Enemy space ships took turns landing on our homeworld. Even from up here, we could see the burst of light as a bomb was dropped. 

“We have to go back!” Music says, starting to hit buttons again. “We have to help!”

“Mus, stop!” I smacked her hands to keep her from hitting any more buttons. “That’s not helping!”

“We can’t just leave them there!” My cousin protests. “We have to-” Music was cut off as the pod jerked violently, shooting away from Vegeta and it’s attackers.

“No! Stop! Go back, go back!” Music once again hit more random buttons. The picture on the computer kept changing, showing a different planet each time. 

I grabbed her hands, holding them away from the controls. “Stop! That’s not helping!”

“We can’t leave them!” Tears were starting to slide down her face. “We can’t leave them...”

I sat back as my own tears streaked down my cheeks. “We can’t... We’ll die if we do...”

“You’re just a coward!” Music ripped her hands free from mine but didn’t move to touch the controls. Instead, she curled up in a ball and started crying.

*~*~*~*~*

“Moon! Move over!” 

“I can’t! You’re sitting on my tail!”

“Well maybe if you hadn’t insisted on changing sides, that wouldn’t have happened!” Music’s elbow dug into my side as she tried to move me over. My hands were clamped tightly around my tail, trying to free it from underneath her butt. Finally, I freed it, moving over as much as the tiny space permitted. Music grumbled, glaring at me over her shoulder. I did the same, putting all my irritation into the look. 

It had only been a week since we fled our burning planet, but it felt like so much longer. On the days we weren’t mourning the probable loss of our family and friends, we were arguing with each other. We argued over the limited space in the pod, we argued about going back, we argued about anything and everything. Normally we got along just fine, but given the current circumstances, we could barely stand each other.

We also argued about the computer system. While Uncle Raditz had been giving us our farewell speech, Daddy had input coordinates to a safe planet. But with all the button mashing Music did, she had changed it so many times. Now we were heading towards some planet called Earth in the Milky Way Galaxy. I had attempted to set it back to the original destination but had nearly blown us up instead. So now the whole thing was off limits, the fear of blowing up fresh in our minds. 

“We switched sides because you were complaining about being over here!” I point out. Music huffed, rolling her eyes. She fell silent, leaving the argument at that.

*~*~*~*~*

I jolted awake, breathing heavily. The bomb blast burned in my memory from the dream. I felt tears well up, threatening to spill over. I took a few shaky breaths to try and keep them at bay, but it had zero effect. Soon I was sobbing, trying my best to stay silent so I didn’t wake up Music. 

Daddy... Momma... Goten and Gohan... Grandpa and Grandma... Uncle Raditz, Aunt Ayame, Music’s baby brother Cale... They all might be dead, along with everyone else on Vegeta, and Music and I were stuck on this stupid pod with no way of knowing! 

I felt stirring beside me and bit down on my lip in an effort to keep quiet, but the tears kept coming. My whole body was shaking and I knew that alone would be enough to wake up my cousin.

“Moon?” Mus asked, sleep heavy on her voice. She shifted around, placing a hand on my shoulder. Gently, she turned me so I was facing her. 

I sniffed, wiping my face with my hands. “Wh-what?” Music didn’t say anything, taking in my current state. She hugged me tightly. Sniffling again, I hugged her back.

“Remember what Papa said,” Mus says quietly. “We have to carry on and be strong.”

“I know...” I replied. “But it’s hard...”

Silence fell over us both as we held each other, thinking about what we’ve lost.

*~*~*~*~*

“Moon, wake up!” Music shouts in my ear. I scowled, my eyes slowly opening. 

“What?” I groaned. “I was sleeping.”

“I know! But I think I got the com to work!”

That got my attention. Sitting up straight, I stretched as much as our tiny space let me. Looking at the computer in front of us, I saw that a message box had popped up, asking us for our message.

My eyes widened. “Mus, you did it! Have you sent anything yet?” 

Music shook her head. “No, I was waiting for you! You take forever to wake up, by the way.”

I ignored her last comment, scootching closer to the keyboard. I studied it for a moment before finding a button that looked like it would allow us to speak our message.  
Hesitating slightly, I pushed it, relieved when it beeped, letting us know we could start the transmission to Vegeta.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” I took my finger off the button, watching as the screen flashed, showing that the message had been sent. 

“What was that?” Music asked, half glaring at me, half rolling her eyes. “This isn’t a video chat! Here, move over!” She pushed me aside, holding down the button.

“Vegeta, come in Vegeta. This is Music and Rosamoona, the granddaughters of General Bardock. We’re trapped in a space pod. Can you hear us? Over.” Music released the button, sending the message. We waited for a while, but nothing came through.

“Maybe try a different channel?” I suggested, not really knowing how to do that.

Music nodded, biting her lip as she searched the control panel for a way to change frequencies. “I remember Grandma Gine saying that if something bad happened and we needed to get in touch with Grandpa Bardock to use channel 540... Maybe it’s this knob...? Ha!” Music cheered in victory as the knob she had chosen changed the channel displayed on the monitor. She kept turning it until the number read 540.

Static filled our pod, causing my heart to sink. I looked over at Music, whose eyes had grown wide. She swallowed hard, slowly reaching a hand to the transmission button. 

“He-hello? Grandpa? It’s Mus and Moon. Are you there?” The button was released and after a minute or two, we still only heard static.

“No... There has to be a mistake,” Music muttered. “I-I remembered the wrong number, that was for something else! Or maybe the coms are down from the attack... Something!”

“Or no one’s left to answer us,” I say quietly. Music whips around, glaring at me with tears in her eyes.

“No! It can’t be! I refuse to believe it!” She slapped the button, leaning forward and yelled loudly. “Hello! Can anyone hear me?! Please, someone answer! Somebody, anybody!”  
Suddenly, the pod shook. I gasped, grabbing the edge of the seat to keep me from falling into Music. After a few seconds, it stopped, allowing the two of us to straighten up. I peered out the window, gasping again as the pod rumbled again. A giant rock flew past, followed by more and more.

“Asteroids!” I exclaimed. “We’re in an asteroid belt!”

An alert popped up on the screen, showing that I was right. It also showed that we were nearing the edge of the Nova Galaxy - which means we’d be entering the Milky Way, the one where our destination is.

I pushed Music out of the way as she had done with me. “Planet Vegeta, this is Music and Rosamoona, the granddaughters of General Bardock.” I know Music had already said that but it had been on a different channel, and it didn’t hurt saying it again. “We fled the planet in a single person space pod. Kakarot had input directions, but they were changed when we took off. We’re currently heading for a planet in the Milky Way Galaxy called Earth. Send help! Please!” The pod was shaking the whole time, making my voice sound funny. I lost hold of the button a few times but kept going in hopes that even a broken message was enough. 

Just as I finished, the pod shook harder than before. The computer flickered, malfunctioning from the impact. Music and I screamed, grabbing for each other in the dark. I closed my eyes, waiting for it to finally be over.

*~*~*~*~*

Compared to the Nova Galaxy, everything in the Milky Way was huge. We passed multiple planets, all of them larger than Vegeta and our suns and moon. Several were so big, Music and I couldn’t even see the entire thing from the pod window! The computer, which didn’t seem to be too damaged after our trip through the asteroids, told us that the Milky Way itself was larger than the Nova. I didn’t find that hard to believe. 

Days continued to tick by in a slow fashion. After a while of seeing a bunch of planets, suddenly there wasn’t anything around us but the stars. Music and I fought more and more. Usually, it was over stupid stuff like who was taking up more room, who was going through more of the small number of supplies, etc. However, sometimes we argued about our situation, what we could have done to prevent it, and what we’ll do once we reach Earth. Mus wanted to fix up the ship so we could return to Vegeta. I, on the other hand, thought we should stay on Earth for a while and train. That way when we return our people and they still need our help, we’ll be able to do so. We eventually gave up fighting, retreating as far away from each other as we possibly could. 

By the end of our second week in space, our food and water supply were running dangerously low. Daddy and Uncle Raditz must not have planned on us being in the pod for this long, which tells me that our original destination should have been one of the planets closer to Vegeta. However, according to the computer, we were nearing Earth. Music and I tried the coms again, but it seems they were destroyed in the asteroid belt. 

Finally, after days of not seeing any celestial body of any kind, a small, pale tannish planet came into view. 

“The computer says that’s Pluto, the ninth planet in the solar system Earth is in,” I say, looking between the planet and the screen of the computer. “Apparently it’s the smallest planet in the system.”

“I’m pretty sure so far that’s the smallest thing in this whole galaxy,” Music comments, watching as we passed Pluto. I rolled my eyes but smiled.

“How much farther is Earth?”

“Not much. There should be another five planets and then we’ll be at Earth.”

“What does the computer say about it?” Music asked. “Is it cool?”

I shrugged. “From what the computer says, not much is actually known about Earth. The creatures that live there think they’re alone in the universe, so they don’t reach out to make contact with anyone. Also, their technology is really old and primitive, so they can’t travel very far in space. That’s about it.”

Music sighs. “Well that’s boring... I bet they aren’t even that powerful!” I could tell she was hinting I should change my mind about wanting to stay on Earth.

“Look, we’ll figure out what to do when we land,” I say. “First thing’s first though, we need to get some food and water.”

Hours passed in silence. We watched as our pod raced passed more of the planets in this new solar system. They got bigger as we grew closer to Earth. Just how big was this mystery planet we were heading for?

“Whoa look! That one has rings!” Music exclaims, pointing out the window. I looked out, my eyes resting on a tan planet with rings. I looked down at the computer, searching for the name. 

“This is Saturn. It’s the second largest.”

“Second largest?” Music asked incredulously. I nodded. 

“That’s what it says.”

“Uhh does it say anything about what the rings are made of?” I looked up at her, confused.

“What do you mean? Why?”

“Because we’re going to go right through them!”

My head snapped around to look out the window. Sure enough, our current path was going to lead us directly through some of Saturn’s rings.  
I frantically looked at the computer, my eyes shifting through the info on the screen. “It says here it’s made of space dust and rock. The planet’s gravity is what keeps it in orbit like this.”

“This is going to get bumpy,” Music mumbles, grabbing hold of the seat.  
My stomach twisted as we neared the rings. I could start to make out large chunks of rock that could surely do some damage to us if we hit them. I prayed the pod would miss them all.

We weren’t that lucky. Just like in the asteroid belt, the tiny pod bounced around, though it wasn’t nearly as bad. I had my eyes closed the majority of the time, waiting for it to be over. It took about five minutes until the pod stopped jumping around. Slowly, I opened my eyes.

“Well, that wasn’t so-”

“Look out!” Music yelled, pointing out the window. I turned just in time to watch as a large rock crashed right into the front of the pod. I flew forward, my head smacking against the metal of the ship. 

*~*~*~*~*

I woke up to the smell of smoke and a loud beeping sound. Blinking to clear my eyes, I pushed myself up. My head was throbbing from where it struck the wall and when I reached up to touch it, I felt sticky blood.

Music lay beside me, also knocked out from the force of the asteroid. I inspected her and found that she was in about the same state I was, which caused me to breathe a sigh of relief. Turning my attention to the computer, I saw that’s where the smoke was coming from. Any data that the screen had been displaying was gone, replaced now by a bright red screen that constantly flashed the word “error” in large letters. 

Looking up, I gasped, my heart stopping. The glass in the window was cracked all over, making it nearly impossible to see out of. It looked as if one touch would cause the whole thing to shatter and break. How were we ever supposed to survive the landing with it looking like that?

The pod abruptly jolted, bouncing roughly a few times. From what I could see out the window, it looked as if we were really close to a planet. We must have gotten caught in the gravitational pull! And with the computer out of commission, I had no way of knowing what planet this may be. Hopefully, it was Earth.  
I shook Music, attempting to wake her up. When she didn’t respond, I started to panic. Maybe she was more hurt than I thought... The pod shook harder, making Music and I shake with it. The smoke from the computer was starting to make it harder to breathe in the small space. And on top of all that, it was starting to get increasingly hot in the pod from entering the atmosphere.

I had to act quickly. Moving my cousin the best I could, I reached around her and grabbed the strap for the seat belt. Bringing it across the two of us, I snapped it into place on my side, pulling it tight. I also wrapped an arm around Music to keep her as steady and close to me as possible. 

Fire surrounded the tiny pod as it rushed towards the surface of the planet. The whole thing creaked and groaned, filling me with anxiety. The glass started to glow from how hot it was getting. The smoke continued to pour from the computer, growing thicker and thicker by the minute. I held on tightly to Music, waiting for it to be over.  
Suddenly, the pod stopped bouncing. We had cleared the atmosphere but had yet to land. Through the glowing, cracked glass, I could just barely see the ground getting closer and closer. I closed my eyes, bracing for impact. 

*~*~*~*~*

“Music, wake up! Please, get up!” I shook my cousin, pleading with her unconscious form. I was so afraid something had happened to her internally and I had no way of healing her. Grandma Gine had yet to show either of us how to heal others. 

After a hard landing, I had pulled myself and Music out of the smoldering wreck. The first thing I noticed about Earth - if that’s where we did end up landing - was that the gravity was a lot lighter than on Vegeta. I was practically floating as I rushed us away from the pod in case it blew up. The second thing I noticed was that it was considerably cooler than my home. Vegeta had two suns whereas this planet only had one. 

Currently, Music and I were in some kind of clearing in what must have been the outskirts of a village. I could see houses in the distance and I debated about going to them to get help. But I didn’t want to leave Music in case she woke up. 

“C’mon, Mus! Please, just wake up!” I shook her a few more times, my heart doing backflips as she groaned. I grinned, shaking her again.  
Footsteps caught my attention. My head snapped up and my eyes zeroed in on a figure coming towards us from the direction of the village. Swiftly, I jumped up and stood in front of Music to protect her. I didn’t know what kind of creatures lived here, but I wasn’t about to let them harm my cousin. Slowly, the figure came into focus. I blinked, surprised as I took it in. 

A girl a few years younger than me stopped when she was about fifteen feet away. Her eyes were blue, just like mine and Music’s. Blond hair was pulled into pigtails on either side of her head, pink bows holding them in place. Her skin was lighter than mine, but not by much. She had on a pink dress that matched the bows.

“Who are you?” I demanded, ready to attack if needed. Physically, the girl didn’t look like much. However, who knew what kind of powers she actually possessed.

The girl tilted her head, confusion on her face. She spoke, asking what sounded like a question. The language she was using sounded a bit like Jivovian, but the words softer and not as drawn out. During the time it took me to translate, the girl had moved a few steps closer, waving her hand in front of my face. When she saw she got my attention, she spoke again.

“Who are you? Are you okay? What happened? Where you part of the explosion? What language were you speaking? Why do you have a tail?”  
My head swam with all her questions, exhaustion suddenly catching up with me. Escaping Vegeta, the two weeks in space, the meteor shower, hitting the rock in Saturn’s rings, and now the crash landing. I ignored them all, asking one of my own.

“What planet is this?”

The little girl looked surprised. Whether it was from my sudden switch in languages, or the question I asked, I don’t know. It was probably both. She looked me over again before answering.

“Earth. This is Earth.”

A weary smile worked its way onto my face. Slowly, I sunk to my knees. The grass tickled my hands and knees as a bone-tired laugh escaped my lips. I glanced back at Music, a small smile on my lips. 

“We made it... We made it, Mus...” I looked back up at the strange girl. “We made it...” I whispered one more time. My arms shook before giving out and I fell into the grass.  
The girl ran forward, falling to her knees beside me, asking over and over if I was okay. I didn’t answer, her face growing blurry as my vision faded. I let the exhaustion pull me down, taking me into sweet darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

Fire. Fire danced before my eyes, the acrid scent of dead bodies and thick smoke that accompanied it filled my nose and caused me to choke. The roar of flames mixed with the screams of the injured and dying. Tremors shook the ground below me, making it difficult to stand. Tears filled my eyes and ran down my cheeks, streaking my grimy face.

I covered my ears, trying desperately to block out the screams. My eyes squeezed shut tightly so I didn’t have to look at the horrors in front of me. The ground shook again, leading me to crouch down. This isn’t happening, this isn’t happening, this isn’t happening... I continuously chanted these words, both in my head and out loud. I wasn’t here, this was some crazy dream. This isn’t happening, this isn’t happening, this isn’t happening...

Suddenly, I felt a hot, heavy hand on my shoulder. Jumping, I opened my eyes and screamed.

Daddy stood in front of me, his hand still on my shoulder. His normally tan skin was red and black from the flames. Blood trickled from places where the skin was peeling, revealing the muscle, and in certain areas the bone, underneath. Daddy’s ebony eyes were dark and blank, holding no life in them. His hair was singed, entire patches of it gone. If it wasn’t for the fact that some of his hair remained, I never would have recognized him as my father.

I jumped again, this time backward and away from Daddy - or rather, what was left of him. I scrambled on my butt as Daddy took a shaky step towards me. The hand that had been on my shoulder had fallen and was now hanging limply at his side.

“Moon...ney...” Daddy’s voice was raspy from smoke inhalation. He moved towards me again, and I once more scooted away from him. The tears started anew, pouring down my filthy cheeks. I took heaving breaths, the sobs shaking me as much as the earthquakes had been. My name left his lips a second and third time. By now I had stopped moving away and was simply staring up at him in horror as Daddy came closer. Just when I thought this couldn’t get worse, Daddy exploded. 

A bright burst of Ki shot through my father before causing him to explode. Bits and pieces of him littered the ground in front of me. I was stunned silent before I opened my lips and screamed as loud as I could.

~*~*~*~*~

The scream woke me from the horrific nightmare. I shot up into a sitting position, breathing heavily. Sweat poured down my trembling frame. My hair was plastered to my head, some of it hanging in my face. With an unsteady hand, I moved it so I could see.

The room I was in was unfamiliar. It was plain looking, with only minor decorations and a few pieces of furniture, including the bed I was currently sitting on. A quick inspection of myself showed I wore a shirt, many sizes too large for me. Where had my clothes gone? Who changed me? Most importantly, where was I?

Before I could come up with an answer to these questions, the door to the room burst open, spilling in light from the hall. A short man with short, black hair stood in the doorway. He had on a green shirt with light tan shorts and black shoes. Six dots were arranged in two columns on his forehead. I froze when I saw him. Our eyes met for a brief second before I sprang from the bed, getting into a defensive stance. The shirt I wore fell past my knees and hung loosely on my frame. Instantly, the man held up his hands. 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. Calm down, alright? I’m not gonna hurt you.” He spoke in the same language as the girl earlier. _The girl_. She must have gotten help after I passed out.

Tentatively, the man took a step forward. I tensed up again, my body coiled tightly, ready to spring. The man could sense this and spoke again, gentler this time.

“It’s okay, I swear. I’m a police officer, I’m not gonna hurt you. Are you okay? I heard you scream a few minutes ago.”

“Who are you?” I demanded, upset I wasn’t able to keep my voice from shaking. “Where’s Music?”

“My name is Krillin,” he starts, taking another step forward. I watched his movements in case he tried anything. “Is Music the girl you were with in the field?” I slowly nodded.

Krillin lowered his hands, gesturing over his shoulder with a jerk of his thumb. “She’s in a room down the hall. She’s okay, just resting.”

I relaxed slightly. I could tell he was telling the truth.

“Are you okay?” Krillin asked me for the hundredth time. “What happened to you two? Marron says you were part of the explosion? Is that true?”

Slowly, I straightened out of my defensive state, but I still kept my guard up. “Take me to see Music,” I demanded, thankful I was able to keep my voice steady this time. “I wanna see her.”

With a kind smile, Krillin nodded. “I figured you’d say something like that. Follow me; I’ll take you to her.”

I walked behind the short man, walking on the balls of my feet. The soft carpet tickled my toes and I suddenly felt very vulnerable. I was in a strange home following a strange man on a strange planet. I still didn’t even know what species these people were! I thought about Vegeta, which immediately brought my dream back to me. I shuddered, tears pricking the corner of my eyes. I had to keep reminding myself that it was just a dream and that Daddy was strong. His fate wasn’t the same as it was in my nightmare. At least, that’s what I desperately hoped.

Krillin stopped in front of a closed door. He glanced at me before opening it. I pushed past him, eager to see my cousin.

Music lay in the bed, her black hair spilled across the pillow. Her breathing was steady as I watched her chest rise and fall. As I got closer, I could see that she too was wearing an oversized shirt, just like I was. Music had minor bruises and cuts from our crashing landing, but they appeared to have been taken care of. I sent a silent prayer that she wasn’t seriously hurt.

“What happened to you two?” Krillin asked softly from behind me in the doorway.

Taking a deep breath, I turned around and held my head up to try and look more confident than I was feeling.

“I’m not answering any questions until Music wakes up.” That way we could figure out how to answer them together.

After a moment, Krillin nodded. “Alright, if you insist. Can I get you something while you wait?”

My stomach growled loudly at the thought of food, but I shook my head defiantly and sat down on the floor next to Music’s bed. I would wait, no matter how long it took my cousin to wake up.

~*~*~*~*~

It didn’t take long before my wait was over. An hour or two later Music was stirring and waking up, lifting a huge weight off my chest. Just like me, Music had a million questions, and I answered the few that I could. Together, we stood up in our shirts that were too large and snuck out into the hall. I could hear voices float up from down the stairs directly to our right. Music and I glanced at each other and shared a look, nodding before moving silently down the staircase. 

We came out in a kitchen. Three people were seated around a table that was full of food. My stomach growled, something it had been doing the whole time I waited for Music. At the table, I recognized two of the three people; Krillin and the girl who had found Music and I. Marron is what her name was. The other was an older woman. She had blond hair, the same as Marron. The two also shared the same crystal blue eyes, and I could see a few other features they had in common, telling me they were related in some way. 

“You’re awake!” Marron chirps brightly, a smile lighting up her face. Krillin and the older woman turned to look at her before following her gaze and seeing Music and I standing awkwardly at the base of the stairs. I felt Music stiffen beside me.

“You both must be hungry,” the woman says. “There’s more than enough food here. Please, come eat something.”

“Not until you answer our questions,” my cousin replies, though it wasn’t very convincing. After two weeks of meager rations, both Music and I were eyeing the food hungrily. 

“How about we meet each other halfway?” Krillin suggests. “You two come eat and we’ll answer any question you have.”

I bit my lip, looking at Music. She looked at me, her eyes searching mine. After a moment, we both looked at the three strangers, nodding. All three smiled as we made our way over to the table. It was large enough to hold up to eight people, so there was still plenty of room for Music and me to sit. We chose the two chairs farthest away from our hosts, sitting close to each other.

When we didn’t make an immediate move for the food, Krillin grabbed plates and piled them high, passing them to us. I picked up a fork, poking at the white pile of food. Whatever it was looked fluffy and indented where the fork touched it. There was brown liquid on top that reminded me of gravy. Maybe that’s what it was? Was it possible that the food here wasn’t too different from back home?

“What is this stuff?” Music asked me, in our native language, as she poked her pile of fluffy substance as well. I shook my head. 

“I have no idea...”

“Try it.”

“Why do I have to try it? You try it!”

“Nuh-uh, no way. You first.”

I scowled at her. “Fine. Together. One-”

“What are you two talking about?” Marron asked. I glanced up from the plate of mystery food to see her staring at us curiously. In fact, all three of them were looking at us strangely.

“What language is that?” the woman asked. “I’ve never heard it before. Just where are you two from?”

“What is this?” Music asked, ignoring all their questions and jabbing her fork into the food in question. 

If it were all possible, my cousin and I got even stranger looks. Marron’s eyes widened dramatically.

“You don’t know what mashed potatoes are?!” she demanded. “They’re like the best food ever!” To prove her point, she took a huge forkful, shoving it in her mouth and making a sound of enjoyment afterward.

Slowly, I looked back down at my plate. I scooped some onto my fork, my eyes finding Music’s. She too had some on her utensil. Together we nodded, putting it in our mouths at the same time. 

“Wow! You were right! These are great!” Music hastily ate the rest of them, moving onto the small, green balls. “What about these things? Are they potatoes too?” She picked some up, putting them in her mouth. Right away, she made a face, spitting them out onto her plate. “Those are gross...”

I giggled at her but instantly stopped when I saw we were still getting weird looks. I nudged her side, gesturing with my head towards our audience. Music blushed slightly, looking down.

“Don’t eat the green balls,” she whispered to me in Saiyan. I giggle again. 

“Okay, I think it’s time to start the questions,” Krillin pipes up, his look of confusion and disbelief turning into a smile. “Just who exactly are you two? Where are you from? How did you get here?”

“Were you in a spaceship?” Marron asks before Krillin or the woman could ask any more questions. “Did you come from a different planet? Does that make you aliens?” The woman shoots the girl a look, one that told me Marron had expressed these views to them before Music and I came down the stairs.

Once more, Music and I shared a look. 

_‘You talk,’_ she sent me telepathically. _‘You’re better at it than I am.’_ I silently nodded before looking back at our house hosts.

“First, who are you?” I asked them, looking at each in turn. “Then we’ll answer your questions.”

“Sounds fair,” the woman answers. “You met my daughter, Marron when she found you. This is my husband, Krillin. I’m Lazuli.”

“It’s nice to officially meet you,” I say diplomatically, even though I was starting to worry. What should I tell them? I had already mentioned Music’s name, and I wasn’t sure if they knew mine or not. And what about who we really were? If the computer on the pod was correct, the inhabitants of this planet didn’t think beings from other planets existed. How would they react when they found our Music and I were aliens?

I felt Music’s hand on mine, giving it a small squeeze. I took a deep breath, steadying myself.

“My name is Rosamoona. This is my cousin, Music.” Krillin, Lazuli, and Marron waited for me to continue. When they saw that I wasn’t, Krillin started the next round of questions.

“How did you two get here? Where are your parents?”

Silence fell over the table as Music and I looked down. A lump formed in my throat and my stomach twisted in knots. Suddenly I wanted to throw up the one bite of mashed potatoes I had eaten.

“They’re far away,” Music replies, her voice hushed. I could hear the tears in her voice and knew that’s why she didn’t speak any louder. I took Music’s hand, this time squeezing hers instead of the other way. I swallowed hard, attempting to get rid of the lump. 

“Far away... like on a different planet?” I looked up at Marron, who was searching my face to see if she were right. I didn’t answer.

“You don’t have to hide it,” she continued. “We saw your tails when we brought you here.”

My eyes widened, and in my peripheral vision, I saw Music’s eyes do the same. Our tails! How had we forgotten our tails?! The answer was actually an easy one; on Vegeta, we didn’t have to worry about hiding them. It was a normal thing for saiyans to have tails, just as it was normal for us to have arms or hair. However, here on Earth, I had never even thought of concealing them. Currently, my tail as hanging out the back of the chair, swaying nervously.

“What Marron is trying to say,” Krillin says quickly, “is that you don’t have to worry about us freaking out. If that’s what you’re thinking.” He shot his daughter a look before returning his attention to Music and me.

I swallowed hard again before very slowly nodding. 

A huge smile broke out across Marron’s face, her eyes lighting up. “So you _are_ aliens! That’s so cool! Now Piccolo isn’t the only one!”

My brow furrowed. “Who’s Piccolo?”

“An alien,” Marron answered as if that explained it all. 

“He’s a friend,” Lazuli adds. 

“He’s an alien?” Music asks.

“Technically,” Krillin says, “he’s a... Uhhhh... Well, I’m actually not one hundred percent sure what he is, but it ain’t human, that’s for sure.”

“So that’s what you are?” I questioned. “Humans?”

The family nodded at the same time. “What does that make you?” Lazuli asked us.

I again had my doubts over whether or not to expose what Music and I really were. But at this point, I guess it was a little late for that.

I sat up straight, holding my head up. “We’re Saiyans from the planet Vegeta in the Nova Galaxy.”

“Whoaaaa, you’re from a whole ‘nother galaxy too?!” Marron asked in amazement. “That’s so cool! How far away is it? How long did it take you to get here? What's your planet like?” She asked a thousand other questions before her mother finally got her to stop. 

“Calm down, Mar,” she chuckled slightly. “They’ll get to that.”

“I’m not sure how far away Vegeta is from here,” Music says, her face thoughtful. “But Moon and I were in the pod for two weeks.”

“It only took you two whole weeks to get here?” Krillin asks. “From a whole different galaxy?! Man, your pod thingy must be fast!”

“Faster than your space ships,” I say, matter-of-factly. Then, feeling slightly sheepish, I add, “At least, that’s what the computer on our pod said...”

“What kind of fuel does it run on?” the short man asks us.

“Uhh...” Music and I look at each other, wondering if the other had the answer to that question. Just like the rest of the pod, what it used as a power source was a mystery to us.

“We’re getting off topic here,” Lazuli says, trying to steer the conversation back to where it was. 

“What about your weird clothes?” Marron asked. “The ones you were wearing when I found you.”

“What happened to them?” Music demanded, sitting up and looking around as if our filthy clothes were somewhere to be found in this kitchen.

“They’re in a basket in the laundry room,” Lazuli tells us. “I didn’t know how to wash them, so they’re just sitting there. We gave you both one of Krillin’s shirts until we figure out how to get you clothes.” I glanced down at the orange shirt I was wearing. I picked at it, frowning slightly. I hadn’t paid much attention to it until now, but I realized it wasn’t made of something I recognized. 

“It feels funny,” I commented. “It’s scratchy.” 

Krillin chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. “I guess they don’t have cotton where you’re from, eh?”

“What’s cotton?” Music and I asked at the same time. Krillin chuckled again. 

“I’m going to take that as a no.”

“So, going back to an earlier question, why are you two here?” asked Lazuli, her blue eyes curious. 

Sadness washed over me as I thought about the state of Vegeta before and after Music and I boarded the pod. I remembered the invading ships we saw from high above the planet, right before leaving it and starting our journey towards Earth. I also remembered my nightmare from earlier and shuddered at the thought. The knot that had been in my stomach turned into a pit as tears threatened to roll down my cheeks. I blinked, trying to will them away. Beside me, Music sniffled, rubbing her hand across her nose. 

Krillin, sensing our distress, got off his chair, walking over to us. Gently, he laid a hand on top of me and Music’s intertwined ones. 

“Whatever happened, you’re safe here. We won’t let anything hurt you, I swear.” His voice was soft and reassuring. Any hesitations I may have felt towards him disappeared as I knew he was telling us the truth. I nodded, wiping my eyes.

“Our planet... Someone attacked it,” I say quietly, not trusting myself to speak any louder. “Daddy and Uncle Raditz... they put us in a pod to escape... We were supposed to go somewhere else, but during take off the controls got messed up so we came here instead...” I trailed off, taking a shaky breath. 

“Do you know who it was?” Krillin prodded carefully. “Who attacked your home?” 

Music and I shook our heads. “All we know was that the ground was shaking and there were screams and smoke and then from space, we could see the ships,” Music says. “Papa and uncle Kakarot wouldn’t let us stay and help fight. They said that they were gonna come with us and that the rest of our family would follow in different escape ships... But they were lying...”

“You’re just kids, you couldn’t be expected to stay and help fight,” Lazuli says. “It’d be too dangerous.” 

“We’re old enough to fight!” Music protests. “All saiyans start training at eight, and we’re eleven! We’ve been training for three years, we could help lots!”

“You’re only eleven?!” Marron asks in disbelief. “You’re younger than me!”

I blinked, surprised. “How old are you?”

“I’m twelve,” she says with pride. 

“I figured you were older as well,” Krillin admits, dropping his hand from ours and scratching his cheek. “I guess since you’re both larger than Marron.” 

“I thought she was a kid cause she’s so small,” I say, looking between the father and daughter. Marron frowned.

“I’m one of the tallest kids in my grade!” she protests. I shrugged, wiping my eyes to rid myself of the tears.

“Anyway, we gotta repair the pod so we can get back home,” Music says. “We have to help our family.”

Krillin and Lazuli share a look. The short man goes back to his chair, sitting down. “We also brought the pod back here,” he says. “Or at least, what was left of it. I have to say, I’ve never seen anything like it! Going back on the fact it’s incredibly fast, I’d have to say your technology far surpasses anything we have here on Earth.”

“So does that mean no one here could fix it?” I asked, dejectedly. I sat back in my chair, looking over at Music. She was scowling deeply, and I could see the fear in her eyes. Fear that we wouldn’t be able to get back home. 

“What about grandpa?” Marron asked, looking over at her mother. “He could fix it, couldn’t he?”

“It’s possible,” Lazuli says thoughtfully. “I could call him and see.”

“It’s settled,” Krillin says. “We’ll call Jarold in the morning and see if he can fix your ship.” He smiled at us.

“But that doesn’t mean you two can just go running off the moment it’s fixed,” Lazuli tells us sternly. “I don’t want you to make the trip back, just to get hurt. We’ll contact the planet first, to find out if it’s safe or not.”

“We tried that coming here,” I say. “We couldn’t get ahold of anyone...”

After a moment, Krillin spoke. “It’s probably from the initial invasion. They didn’t want anyone to call for help. I’m positive by now your home has set up some sorta emergency comms. And hey, who knows! They may have already taken care of whoever was attacking.”

“Enough of the doom and gloom,” Lazuli orders, for the first time taking a bite of the food on her plate. “Finish eating, girls. You both look like you could use a good meal. After dinner, we’ll go out to the store and get you some clothes for your stay here on Earth.”

I could help but smile slightly at Lazuli’s motherly instructions. Nodding, I looked down at my plate, studying the food. The white pile was mashed potatoes, but I still didn’t know what the rest was. Music said the green balls were gross, but what about this other stuff? As I poked at it, I thought it looked like a type of meat. Glancing over at Music, I saw she was chewing a bite of it thoughtfully.

“Tastes like jutar,” she states, taking another bite of the meat. I stabbed a piece on my plate, sniffing it before eating it.

“It does,” I agreed, hungrily devouring the rest of it. I quickly ate the rest of the mashed potatoes, cautiously eyeing the green balls before deciding to try them despite what my cousin said. I frowned, chewing and swallowing. 

“Mus, you’re crazy. The green balls taste fine!”

“Nuh-uh, they’re really gross!”

“Are not!”

“Are too!”

Marron laughed. “You guys are so weird! That’s not Jaguar, it’s pot roast! And the green balls are peas!”

“Jutar, not Jaguar,” I corrected, and then added, “what’s Jaguar?”

This time, Marron, Krillin, and Lazuli all chuckled. “It’s a type of animal on Earth,” Krillin explained. “I’m assuming jutar is something you eat on Vegeta?”

Music and I nodded. “What’s pot roast?” Music asked.

“It’s meat from a cow, a different type of animal used for food here on Earth. It’s actually used for a bunch of different foods in many different ways.”

“Well can I have more cow?” Music asked, holding out her plate. I quickly ate the rest of the peas before doing the same. I gave them my most charming smile.

Lazuli smiled. “I’m glad you both enjoy my cooking so much.” She loads our plates back up with food and Music and I took them back, shoveling the food down our throats. 

~*~*~*~*~

After we finished eating, Lazuli took us into the city to a clothing store. It was all so weird; being in a car that still drove on the ground, seeing all the tall buildings of Earth, and seeing all the people without tails. Everything was very different, including the clothes at the store. Like the shirts Music and I were currently wearing, all the clothes at the store seemed to made of the same material; cotton is what they called it. Lazuli and Marron helped us pick out clothes that fit us, which wasn’t as hard as I thought. When we were done, the four of us went back out to the car and went back to the house we had come from.

Once we got back, Lazuli told Marron to show Music and me around the house while she called her dad about fixing the pod. Marron excitedly drug my cousin and me around her house, showing off every little thing she possibly could. We asked her questions about Earth and her family life and she did the same to us. Lazuli was a chef at a fancy restaurant and Krillin was a police officer in the city. When we started talking about Vegeta and Grandpa Bardock and the royal family, Marron seemed very impressed. 

“You know the king and queen?!” she asked, eyes wide. Music and I nodded.

“And the princes and princess. They’re friends of ours.”

“And your grandpa is the leader of the army?” Again, we nodded. 

“Yeah, Grandpa Bardock led the rebellion against the Tuffles _way_ back when he was young,” Music explained. “So after the Saiyans drove them off the planet, Vegeta the First made him the general of the Saiyan army. Papa says that after Grandpa retires that he’s gonna be the next general since he’s older than uncle Kakarot.”

Marron suddenly giggled, looking between the two of us. I frowned slightly, confused.

“What’s so funny?” I asked.

“Your dads! Their names sound like vegetables!” She giggled again, harder this time.

“Our dads aren’t vegetables!” Music protested. “They’re elite warriors!”

“Who are named after vegetables!” 

Music huffed, crossing her arms. Her face was slightly red from embarrassment, and I couldn’t help but giggle at her expression. 

It wasn’t long after that it was dark outside, signaling the end to the day. Music and I made our way back to the two rooms we had woken up in, though I wasn’t the least bit tired. I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, my mind wandering. I couldn’t help but think back to Vegeta and the destruction we witnessed. Tears formed in my eyes, but before they could fall, I flipped over so my head was buried in the pillow. Eventually, I fell asleep, my dreams plagued with nightmares. 

~*~*~*~*~

“Thank you so much for coming,” Lazuli says from the front of the house. I looked up from my lunch, meeting Music’s eyes and then Marron’s. The latter grinned, quickly jumping down from the kitchen table, running from the kitchen to where her mother was. 

“Grandpa!” We hear her exclaim. It’s followed by the sound of an elderly man laughing. Looking at each other again, Music and I slip down from the chairs and walked towards where the three were at.

Standing in the entryway of the house was an old man with bushy white hair and an equally bushy mustache. He was hugging Marron tightly, a grin plastered on his face. Lazuli stood next to both of them, her blond hair pulled back from her face. Apparently, today was her day off work and a day Marron didn’t have to go to school. Krillin, however, had to go to work today, which left the four of us here. That is until Marron’s grandpa showed up.

“Rosamoona, Music, this is my father, Jarold Gero. He’s a scientist and should hopefully be able to fix your pod,” Lazuli explains. 

Jarold stands up, letting go of Marron but keeping a hand on her shoulder. His blue eyes looked over my cousin and me. Instantly, I saw where Lazuli and Marron got their eye color.

“It’s nice to meet you both,” he says, smiling at us. “Laz explained your situation briefly to me last night. Sounds like you two are in quite the pickle. I’ll help any way I can.”

“Thank you so much,” I say graciously. 

“Krillin and I moved it to the garage,” Lazuli explains, walking towards us, in the direction of the back door. “I’ll go unlock the doors. In the meantime, get something to eat for lunch. Then we can start of repairs.”

Jarold followed his daughter. Music and I moved aside as he passed, bringing up the rear. Marron clung to her grandfather the whole time, talking a mile a minute about random topics, most of which left me more than a little confused. As Lazuli disappeared out the back door, Jarold began rummaging through the kitchen cabinets to find something to eat. 

“So, the two of you are from a different planet, eh?” he asked, turning a blue eye to Music and me. He focused on our tails, which were out in the open for him to see, plain as day.

I nodded. “Yes sir, that’s right.”

“‘Sir’?” Jarold laughed. “Don’t worry about formalities, child. Jarold would do just fine. In fact, if you wanted, grandpa would be acceptable too.”

“Alright, everything’s all set up,” Lazuli says, coming back in through the door. Jarold clapped his hands together, rubbing them excitedly. 

“Good! I’ll admit, I’ve been dying to get my hands on this baby ever since you called me!” He looked around the kitchen for a moment, a slight look of confusion passing over his face. “Now, uh, what was I doing in here again?”

Marron giggle. “Getting lunch! You’re silly, grandpa!”

Jarold chuckled. “Oh yes, that’s right! My brain doesn’t work as well as it used to, y’know.” He quickly ate a light lunch before he and Lazuli went back out to work on the space pod.

~*~*~*~*~

“I’m so sorry, girls,” Jarold says gently. “I did all I could... But that’s technology the likes of which I’ve never seen before. Even messing around with it here these last few days, I just can’t get a handle on it. And even if I did, I don’t think there’s anything here on Earth that could begin to repair it. It’s just not possible.”

The news hit me like a brick. Slowly, I say back in the chair I was sitting on. I blinked, looking over at Music. She too looked dejected as the scientist reported to us his findings. Krillin, Marron, and Lazuli all stayed silent, their eyes downcast.

It had been four days since Music and I woke up. Jarold and his daughter had been working diligently to try and repair the broken pod in the garage. But, from what the old man had just told us, it looked as if it was all for nothing. The dinner, which started out cheery enough, was now full of a tense sadness.

“There has to be some way, Grandpa,” Marron insists quietly. “You’ve made all kinds of things! You can fix their ship!” I was happy the girl was so determined to help Music and me, though it did little to lift my mood.

Jarold ran a hand over his face, sighing. “I wish there was, cupcake. But I’m just not smart enough for their space ship.”

My eyes started to burn from tears building up, but I blinked to make them go away. It seemed that’s all I’ve been doing here lately; crying. I was sick of it.

“Again, I’m very sorry,” Jarold tells us. “I really wish there was more I could do.” Music and I simply nodded, not trusting ourselves to speak. 

“Wait, that’s it!” Marron suddenly exclaims, her face brightening up. I looked over at her, confused. 

“What is, Mar?” Krillin asked his daughter. 

“Wish! What about the dragon balls? We could use the dragon balls to fix Mus and Moon’s pod!”

After a few moments of silence, Music cleared her throat.

“Um... What are the dragon balls?” She looked around at the rest of the table, her tail flicking with curiosity. 

“The dragon balls are seven powerful orbs that allow the user one wish,” Krillin explains.

“One wish? For anything?” I asked, sitting up. Krillin nodded. 

“Yeah, for anything. I’ve used them before, along with some of my old friends.”

“So we could wish for our pod to be fixed?!” Music grins widely. “Marron, that’s genius! Where are they?! We can go back home!” She jumped off her chair, starting for the door. I grinned, jumping down as well, excitement coursing through me.

“It’s not that simple,” Lazuli says, causing us to stop in our tracks. Slowly, we turned to look back at them. 

“The balls are scattered over the Earth,” she explains. “Before one uses them, they have to find them and bring them together. After they’re done being used, the dragon balls then separate again, all over the planet. They could literally be anywhere.” I felt the hope drain from me until Jarold spoke. 

“What about the doohickey I made for you all?” he asked. “The radar or whatever? You could use that to find them.”

“We left that with Tienshinhan and Launch years ago,” Lazuli says to her father. “Don’t you remember? You were there. They were the ones who last needed the balls, so they should still have the radar.” She turned to her husband. “Do you have any way to get in contact with them?”

Krillin smiled widely, snapping his fingers. Swiftly, he jumped off his chair, walking quickly over to a table full of papers sitting by the door leading into the living room. He rifled around for a moment before coming across what he was looking for.

“Aha! This came in the mail a few days ago, and I think it’s the answer to our problems!”

When he got back into his seat, Krillin slid some of the dishes out of the way from dinner, setting a paper on the table. It was decorated with bright, large lettering. Just like the rest of the language, the writing reminded me of Jivovian but with some differences. From what I could understand, the paper was an invitation to a party at something called Kame House. 

“How does this help?” I asked the short man.

Krillin was still grinning. “This is a reunion at my old martial arts master's house. He also happened to be Tien’s master as well! Well, kinda, but that doesn’t matter. What I’m saying, is Tien and Launch will be there! We can get the radar from them, find the dragon balls, and then you two can get your pod fixed!” Krillin sat back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest and a satisfied smirk on his face. 

A grin spread across my face as I looked from the paper to Krillin and to Music. She too looked happy that we had a plan after our first one failed. 

“When is this happening?” I asked. 

“This Saturday. So three days from now.”

I couldn’t help but cheer slightly. In three days, we’d have the pod fixed and be back on our way to Vegeta.


End file.
